Suspended sentence for Sheffield man who brandished knife during city centre altercation

A Sheffield man who brandished a knife during an early hours altercation on a city centre street has been given a suspended sentence.
The incident took place in Carver Street in the city centre on July 8 this yearThe incident took place in Carver Street in the city centre on July 8 this year
The incident took place in Carver Street in the city centre on July 8 this year

The incident took place in Carver Street in the city centre at around 4.20am on July 8 this year, when city centre CCTV operators noticed that a defendant, Mohamed Otmani, and a group of males appeared to be involved in a fracas.

CCTV played during the sentencing hearing at Sheffield Crown Court today (Tuesday, August 14) showed Otmani, of Eldon Court, Sheffield city centre with a blade in his hand.

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"We have no idea why it started, but it was seen by the CCTV operators, who called the police," prosecutor, Bev Tait, told the court.

She added: "Officers were able to arrest him there."

The court heard how officers recovered the knife from Otmani's car, after finding it stashed in the back seat of the vehicle.

Ms Tait added: "The defendant made full admissions in police interview. He said he had been involved in a disturbance, which was ongoing. Someone passed him a knife, but he refused to name them.

"He said it was a stupid, drunken mistake."

Otmani, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a knife or bladed article in a public place at an earlier hearing.

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Defending, Zaiban Alam, told the court that no harm was caused to anyone during the incident and said the group of men were simply 'postulating' and had no intention to hurt one another.

She added: "This was conduct that was very much an aberration, as far as his manner and general conduct is concerned."

Recorder Duncan Smith sentenced Otmani to four months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered him to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.

He told Otmani: "This was a very stupid thing that you did. Everybody, particularly people of your age, who like to go out and enjoy evenings out in the small hours of the morning should be able to do that without the problems that knife crime cases cause in this country, probably the world."